


you and i were always enough

by assclassination (celexte)



Category: Assassination Classroom
Genre: F/M, i love karumana so so so much, please talk to me about these cuties, yuuma is here as well a bit
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-29
Updated: 2017-10-29
Packaged: 2019-01-26 01:02:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,213
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12545300
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/celexte/pseuds/assclassination
Summary: “Why do you like her?” Yuuma asks slowly, then quickly holds up his hands. “Wait, don’t get me wrong. It’s an honest question.”Karma takes the death glare off of his face and replaces it with his signature relaxed smile. He swirls the cup of green tea in his hands, watches the steam form spirals in the air. “Do you want the full or abridged version?”





	you and i were always enough

**Author's Note:**

> HI its me again ///strikes a cool pose  
> anyway i love karmanami so much i have so many emotions for them go d bless

“Why do you like her?” Yuuma asks slowly, then quickly holds up his hands. “Wait, don’t get me wrong. It’s an honest question.”

Karma takes the death glare off of his face and replaces it with his signature relaxed smile. He swirls the cup of green tea in his hands, watches the steam form spirals in the air. “Do you want the full or abridged version?”

Since coming out of business school, Karma and Yuuma have been relatively inseparable. They work at the same company, in the same department. They work similar shifts and always say hello to each other in the breakroom. On Friday nights, they often go to Muramatsu Takuya’s ramen shop, like tonight.

Yuuma laughs good-naturedly (although it wasn’t a joke.) “Sure, long version. I’ve got time.”

“Alright, well, you’re in for something,” Karma says. Yuuma laughs again.

* * *

At university, Manami was always trapped inside the chemistry labs. That’s how Karma saw it, anyway, because he wasn’t allowed in and therefore could not see her. However, he always set up camp right outside the lab, just in case she’d come out a few minutes early and be able to talk to him for a couple of moments.

It’d go something like this - Manami would take off her lab coat and put away her goggles, roll off the rubber gloves on her pretty, delicate hands. Karma would watch as she looks around, watch her eyes light up when they meet his gaze.

“Akabane-san!” she’d grin as she walked out of the lab. “It’s so great to see you again. I’m sorry I’ve been all caught up in work. We should get coffee sometime.”

“What about tomorrow?” he’d say, and she’d just smile apologetically and tell him, reaching for his hands, “I’m sorry. I have a report due and I need some more work on my experiments. But really, I’d love to.”

(Karma doesn’t tell Yuuma how there was a  _ I love you  _ caught so close on his lips.)

Karma would then nod and ruffle her hair (he’d grown tall and she stayed the same, short and sweet.) “Well, it’s a date, whenever you can make it. I’ll wait for you.”

She giggled and nodded, batting his hand away from her head. “Okay. I’ll send you a text.”

Manami is forgetful, but she always followed through. Three hours later, at 1 AM, she sends him “Good night!” accompanied by multiple hearts. 

He followed up with “Get more sleep,” then “Sleep well.”

* * *

Karma pours himself another cup of green tea. The sky outside is darkening, and, through the light-polluted cityscape, he makes out a careful shattering of stars across the sky. Yuuma follows his gaze, nods sagely. “Right, I think I understand. You thought she was just out of your reach, huh?”

The redhead sighs for a moment and looks at the bustling ramen shop, customers pouring in and out, chefs behind the counter spooning soups into bowls and laughing as they go. “No,” he tells Yuuma, though half to himself. “She was always in my orbit.”

* * *

Before university were quieter times. Karma slacked off in class in typical Karma fashion, while Manami studied every moment she possibly could. Her breaks were spent talking to Karma over cups of hot chocolate, while she looked at him with attentive lavender eyes and their legs held carefully close, but never touching.

They’d talk about nothing and everything - comparing their favorite things, maybe, or discussing the hardest problem on the math test. When Karma brought up the topic about the future and what it might bring, she quietly looked down at her half-empty cup and back into Karma’s golden eyes. “I’m a bit scared,” she told him without a hint of laughter. “I’m a bit scared that nothing I do will ever be enough.”

And Karma knew that sentiment clearly. He lowered his eyes and caught her hand, brought it up to his mouth, brushed his lips across her knuckles for a moment - and placed it back on the table again. She looked quiet, though her hand slowly found comfort in his. “I understand,” Karma told her calmly. “Hey, what do you think about this? We could go to the same university. You and I versus the world. What do you say?”

That sweet smile found its way onto her face again. She laughed modestly and then said in reply, “Of course. It was always you and me.”

When they had to leave the cafe to part ways and go home, Karma left regretfully, relieved but also left feeling emptied. “Okuda-san,” he called after her down the sidewalk. “You’re always enough.”

He saw her stunned expression from many yards down, and he also saw her bright smile. “Thank you, Akabane-san!” she called back, her voice only slightly muffled from the scarf around her neck. She looked gentle, like the blanket of clouds that embraces the city every sunrise.

* * *

Karma guesses it was around ninth grade when he figured out he wanted to be a businessman for a living. It sounded great - lounging around in a suit and owning half the world, or something like that. As long as you’re good, you’ll end up on top - or something like that.

In ninth grade, Manami earnestly carried around a chemistry textbook with her everywhere, poring over each chapter that he thought was indigestible. “I like chemistry!” she’d chirp when he asked. “I don’t know. I think it just comes easy to me.”

“I wonder what comes easy to me,” Karma mused.

“You’re…” She thought for a moment, then pointed at him. “A really good prankster.”

He laughed. “I can’t make a job out of that, Okuda-san.”

“Sure you can!” she said stubbornly. “You’re Akabane Karma, and you can do anything!” 

The golden tone of her voice caused his face to flush - and still, it perplexes him exactly why. Maybe it was just the sheer positivity, the strong belief in him, and the comforting feeling of having her if only for a moment. “S-sure,” he stammered out. “Well, we’ll see.”

* * *

Yuuma calls over Takuya to bring over a plate of vegetable tempura, and digs in while Karma’s not even halfway through his story. “Do you mind?” Karma asks.

“Sorry, just continue,” Yuuma says, mouth already stuffed. “But - didn’t Okuda-san talk like that to everybody?”

“Sure,” Karma sighs. And it didn’t bother him - maybe. “She’s… nice, and all.”

“Did you ever tell her?”

“Tried to. Then again, I’m never good at… feelings.”

* * *

Manami is fun, and Karma feels like everyone misses that about her. On a sunny August afternoon just before high school started, he managed to pluck her round glasses off of her nose and ran around the field, laughing as he watched her clumsily chase him. There was an awed breath caught in his throat, something about feeling special that he got to see her laughing and happy and beautiful, just like this. 

“I can’t see, Akabane-san, _please_ ,” she pleaded through overjoyed laughter, reaching out towards him half-blindedly. “Have mercy!”

“Absolutely not,” he said, punctuating each syllable, holding the glasses effortlessly over her head. “You’ll have to fight for them.”

“You say that as if I don’t know how to fight you,” she said with a huff. Her voice has this beautiful, beautiful musical lilt to it - some soft uplifting melody, a promise that nothing bad will ever happen again. 

“Mhm~” he hummed with a smirk, but only moments later, Manami suddenly tackled him, arms around his waist, effectively throwing him the ground. 

Before he can ask  _ Okuda-san, what do you think you’re doing,  _ she jabbed her hands into his sides, causing him to double up and curl into himself. Vicious! Okuda-san is vicious! And he told her that throughout gasps of laughter, and she only gave him this wickedly cute grin, one that hasn’t left his mind since.

“You’re defenseless to me, Akabane-san,” she said with satisfaction as she retrieved her glasses, setting them back on the bridge of her nose.

He murmured “I sure am” under her breath. He still isn’t sure if she heard.

* * *

Maybe she knew. Maybe she didn’t. The thing is, Okuda Manami is unreadable.

She mirrors him, somehow. When he’s happy, she smiles, too. When he’s down, she knows, and she cares. There’s something about the softness of her eyes that gives him the absolute need to hold her and never let go. 

She is something precious. Silver, not quite solid, a little drifting paper boat in the middle of a great sea.

Manami told him once how dandelions are her favorite flower - though they’re not really flowers at all, they’re weeds. But they stand tall and proud in the overgrown field behind Class 3E, and they had this certain dreamlike quality that made her want to dream, too.

“See, the seeds fly away like this,” she told him, gently blowing onto the plucked dandelion. The seeds scattered into the slow April winds, and she watched them leave with wistful lavender eyes. “They want to travel the world. Isn’t that a great dream?”

The thing is, Karma was always content. He was, anyways. He thought he’d stay in Class 3E forever - it was some subconscious feeling, deep inside his heart. But - the thing is, Okuda Manami opened up a new horizon for him. The skies were apricot yellow and peach pink and soft like dandelion feathers as she pursed her lips and said quietly, “I want to dream of great things, too.”

There’s something so utterly breathtaking about how she looked into the setting sun, hands clasped on the remainder of the dandelion, her favorite flower, and Karma, next to her but so far away - and at this moment, he decided something. He wasn’t sure what it was, but something had changed, and changed forever.

* * *

Karma takes a piece of tempura from Yuuma’s plate, unwarranted. Yuuma groans in protest, but doesn’t stop him.

“Hey, this is good,” Karma mentions.

“Of course. Muramatsu’s food really is the best.”

Yuuma glances at Takuya, who’s behind the counter, smiling as he starts another batch of tempura. “You think he’s happy here?”

Karma glances up distractedly. “What?”

“Muramatsu.”

“Sure,” Karma says, rapping his fingers on the hardwood table. “I mean, dreams don’t have to be large things. They’re little things, too. Haven’t you always wanted to settle?”

* * *

Back to university. They finally were able to set up a time to get coffee - Manami still ordered a hot chocolate, while Karma’s moved on to lattes. He still has an unbearably sweet tooth, though. Manami knew this, and brought a little white box of six raspberry macarons for him.

“So, where do you want to go after school?” Karma asked conversationally.

The glass was frosted with the beginnings of winter. Manami wore a gray cable-knit sweater, and her usually-braided hair fell wavy over her shoulders. “Mm,” she hummed, sipping her chocolate. “I’ll find an apartment, I suppose. You know, I really like the city. I want to find a nice apartment and… I don’t know, get a pet? A cat would be nice.”

“A cat,” Karma mused. “What? Do you think you’d be lonely or something?”

She giggled. “Maybe.”

“But I’m here. I’m all you need,” he said, only half-teasing.

“Oh, of course, Akabane-san,” she crooned. “Anyway, I’ll get a cat. Maybe I’ll name it Karma, so you’ll always be with me.”

He almost choked on his coffee. “Y-you’re saying that like I’ll leave you.”

“Well, I can’t see you all the time,” she reasoned, tapping a finger on her chin. “I miss you too, you know! My schedule’s just so… I don’t know. It doesn’t allot enough Karma-time.”

“Karma-time,” he repeated.

“Free time,” she corrected herself, smiling. “Except spent with you. I don’t have much, but I always make time for you, Akabane-san!”

For some reason, Karma’s face warmed up. “Ah,” he said quietly, burying himself back in his warm winter coat and his coffee, thinking. “Well, I guess I’ll get an apartment in the future, too. Maybe a cat, too.”

“Oh, really?”

“Yeah, maybe I’ll name the cat Manami,” he said with a smirk. 

She blinked, and her smile turned into a pout. “You’re teasing me.”

“No,” he assured her. leaning over the table and drawing out the syllable. “I’m serious. Hey, or maybe we could go through less trouble and just - live together. You wouldn’t miss me then. You’d be sick of me.”

“That sounds fun,” she said in her usual slow, deliberate fashion, thinking hard. “Well, I thought you knew that I never get enough of you, Akabane-san. I miss you even when you’re with me.”

For the millionth time that day, Karma’s heart felt like it would explode out of his chest. Despite that, despite everything, he managed to clear his throat coolly and say, “Well, it’s a deal, then. Let’s shake on it.”

They did, and his hand lingered on her for a split second longer than it probably should have.

* * *

Karma squints his eyes at his watch. “Has it been two hours already? Really?”

“Well, we don’t have classes tomorrow,” Yuuma says cheerfully, loosening his tie. “But wow, you really can talk about Okuda-san forever.”

“Huh. Guess you’re right. I mean, I can continue -”

“Really, man,” Yuuma cuts in, standing up and pushing in his chair. As Karma stands, Yuuma claps him on the back. “Just, y’know, ask her out again. It sounds like she likes you, too.”

Karma sighs and swings open the door. They’re greeted by a gust of cold wind, and Karma tucks his hands into the pockets of his slacks. “Sure. Easier said than done.”

“Hey, you’re Akabane Karma,” Yuuma says, matching him step by step. “You can do anything.”

“Again, easier said than done.”

But the bus arrives, and Yuuma bids Karma goodnight. Karma waves until the bus disappears into the dark horizon, then begins the walk back to his dorm.

* * *

Karma decides to call Manami. Sealed in the safety of his dorm, he slowly dials her number and raises the phone to his ear. A million thoughts are running through his mind, but none are solid enough to grasp. What does he say? It’s been a while, but I love you and I miss you and - let’s hang out sometime? How do people talk?

“Karma-kun!” comes a tired but bubbly voice. Then, a small pause. “Ah. Wait, that just slipped. Sorry -”

“That’s fine,” he interrupts. “Manami-chan.”

He can practically see her flustered expression (or, what he hopes, at least.) Then, she laughs a little. “That’s nice,” she says, sounding a bit relieved. “I feel like that was long due.”

“You’re right,” Karma says. He pauses, basking in the moment, then says, “Let’s go to a pet store.”

“A pet store? Why?”

“You’ll see,” he sing-songs. “I’ll see you tomorrow morning. Meet me at the coffee shop, will you?”

He’s about to hit ‘end call’ before he hears her say in a panic, “Karma-kun, wait.” A small pause as she sighs, then, a bit tenderly - “I’ve missed you.”

Karma inhales sharply, and, trying not to let his voice shake, answers, “Me too.”

She hangs up first. He sets the phone down silently, climbs into bed, and stares at the ceiling for what seems like an eternity before he can finally nod off.

* * *

He walks through dreamland sleeplessly.

Through a wasteland of darkness, he catches a bright shadow of a girl -

Karma wakes up with a name on his lips. He sits up, runs a hand through his red hair. “Manami,” he murmurs. 

* * *

She’s there first, her hands concealed under a peach-pink sweater and her hair carefully done in two short braids. She seems nervous, looking side to side at the sidewalk, before she catches Karma’s gaze. She waves at him, smiling shyly.

He jogs over to her, smiling, then checks their heights. “Still short, I see.”

“You’re just a beanstalk,” Manami huffs, but smiles anyway. “Okay. Let’s go see that pet store.”

They take the bus, and Manami traces shapes onto the glass as they go, and Karma watches her with a satisfied smile. There’s no other way to say it than she looks like poetry.

The two of them get off at the next stop. “You’ll love this place,” he purrs, opens the door for her like a gentleman. 

“Of course, because Karma-kun likes it,” she says in reply, causing him to almost stutter in his step, but he follows her all the same.

It’s a nice, modest pet shop - a few cats wander the store, and it’s the first thing Manami sees.

And there’s nothing prettier in the world than seeing her face bloom into the sweetest of smiles at the sight of the cats - something flips in Karma’s chest. She lures a maine coon into her arms, strokes its fur, watches in awe as it pushes its head into her hand.

“I love it,” she says in wonderment.

“I think you should get a cat,” he says, amused. “It suits you.”

“You think so?” Manami asks earnestly, then laughs as the cat mews, demanding to be pet. She rubs its head behind its ears. “You know, Karma-kun, you always reminded me of a cat.”

“Huh. That so?”

“Yep,” she nods. “You’re all nice and sweet and soft.”

The notion makes Karma laugh. “I don’t think everybody would call me ‘nice and sweet and soft.’”

Manami stands up, glancing at Karma, then back at the maine coon. Defiantly, she replies, “Well, it’s because I’m not just anybody!”

“Of course you’re not,” he soothes. “You’re my favorite person in the whole world.”

She doesn’t reply for a few seconds - Karma gets concerned. He places a hand on the small of her back. “Manami-chan?” he ventures - but she’s just hiding her face into her shoulder. Her ears are turning red from embarrassment. “Ah,” he smirks. “I finally got you.”

“Shut up,” she almost wails, then huffs. “Well, I’ll have you know that you’re my favorite person, too. I just - didn’t know how to say it.”

Karma winds his arms around her waist, ecstatic at how good it feels to finally hold her. “Yeah?” he whispers into her hair. “Well, here we are, then. What now?”

Cautiously, she leans her face into his chest, and murmurs, “...I’m not sure. We’ll… fall in love, I suppose.”

“I’ve already fallen for you,” Karma says. “And much beyond that.”

Manami giggles, looking up at him adoringly. “Then try and make me fall that hard for you, Akabane Karma.”

“As if I don’t already know how,” he teases. Gently, he leans his head down and kisses her - a touch, maybe, a bit shy of a kiss - but she flushes red all the same, and he’s sure she can feel his racing heartbeat through their embrace - but it’s alright, all the same. “I really like you, Okuda Manami.”

* * *

The sky is silver blue, the color of wishes and wants and memories never forgotten. Karma takes Manami home, kisses her at the doorstep, laces his fingers in hers. They promise and bid each other goodbye - and that’s all, for that day. There are many days ahead of them. The thing is, now, each step is a step taken by both of them.

Before Manami closed the door into her dorm, she hesitated. “You’re enough, Karma Akabane,” she said shyly. “You were always enough.”


End file.
